HHW Gaming
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Source: Insomniac Games / PlayStation / Dove
Black and Brown video game characters are constantly plagued with awful-looking generic hairstyles. Dove and Open Source Afro Source Hair Library to fix that glaring issue.
Did you know that 85% of Black gamers do not feel video games are coming up painfully regarding the representation of Black characters?
Did you also know that 74% of game developers really want to actively promote better representation?
Dove and Open Afro Source Hair Library are on a mission to fix the Black hair issue in video games with the launch of “Code My Crown,” the first complete and free guide about coding textured hair and protective styles specifically for video games.
Code My Crown aims to eliminate the tired excuse that Black hair is hard to emulate in games by providing coders and developers with an instructional guide allowing them to code more diverse and “true to life” hairstyles in 3D games.
As mentioned above, the guide is free to download at Dove.com/CodemyCrown. This site was also created to help increase diversity in the video game world.
Speaking on the lack of texture hairstyles in games, Isaac Olander, lead Code My Crown developer 3D Artist, said in a press release, “Out of hundreds of possible hairstyles to choose from in the video games I play most often, only a handful are textured hairstyles,”
Olander added, “I am personally grateful to the many talented artists that have selflessly shared their knowledge before me. Their generosity has shaped my artistic journey, and it feels incredibly rewarding to give back to our artistic community with this guide.”
What Is The Open Source Afro Hair Library?
Open Source Afro Hair Library features a bunch of Black creators, developers, and natural hair experts who point out the top textured and protective hairstyles that are always absent in video games.
Code My Crown also features 15 original hair sculpts created by international Black 3D artists, animators, programmers, and academics to help give developers a foundation to create better virtual hairstyles for Black characters.
Each sculpt has 360-degree image mapping, step-by-step instructions, and cultural context to help them create Black hairstyles in the game.
“In the real world, there is an incredible variety of Black hairstyles. But this is rarely reflected in the gaming world,” A.M. Darke, founder and lead Code My Crown contributor, said in the release. “When Black hair is absent from the games we play or are consistently low-quality, it communicates that Black players and our culture are an afterthought, that our stories aren’t worth telling.”
Black Hair In Video Games Has Been A Hot Topic Issue
In March, Kinda Funny’s Blessing Adeoye Jr. released a fantastic video highlighting the need for immediate fixes to Black hairstyles in video games.
The video notes there have been some strides.
For example, see Miles Morales’ crispy ceaser haircut in the above photo from Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales or his latest hairstyle in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, but the issue in gaming is still glaring.
[embedded content]
We can still find some recently released games that provide users with subpar cornrows, afros, and other hair options that only Tyler Perry would use in his television shows or films.
However, we applauded Dove, the Open Source Afro Hair Library, the developers, and Blessing for bringing attention to this important issue.
Representation will always matter.
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Photo: Insomniac Games / PlayStation
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Source: Sony / PlayStation Portal
When the PlayStation Portal was officially unveiled, there were more skeptics than believers about the latest PlayStation accessory. Now that people have tried it, surprisingly, it is being well-received by many.
The PlayStation Portal is an unusual device. For $200, you’re basically getting the perfect PS5 companion device that truly puts the console’s Remote Play option to use better.
Of course, there are caveats; it doesn’t allow for cloud streaming, even though there are reports that the feature could be coming eventually. Another complaint is the lack of Bluetooth functionality.
Plenty of people have said you don’t need this device, given that you could use Remote Play on your smartphones and even connect your DualSense controller. Still, after using the PlayStation Portal leading up to its release, some reviewers are much more optimistic about the device than initially.
What Are The Critics Saying About The PlayStation Portal
Tech Radar’s Rob Dwiar had nothing but glowing words for the PlayStation Portal, giving it a perfect score in his review:
“Offering superb ergonomics as well as excellent design and build quality with all those exquisite DualSense controller features on top, this Remote Play beaut and its bright and sharp 8-inch LCD screen present a wonderful portable PS5 experience. … The Portal is not pretending to be anything else apart from a quality remote-play device for your PS5, and it absolutely nails its brief. As long as you come to it knowing what it does and what it can offer you, then it wholeheartedly, unabashedly, spectacularly succeeds.”
Surprising Skeptics
IGN’s Seth G. Macy had his issues with the device but overall was surprised by the PlayStation Portal after initially being skeptical about it, writing in his review:
“The PlayStation Portal is the most surprising device I’ve ever come away from loving after going in loaded with skepticism. It’s such a better experience than using your phone with a slap-on controller, and it works so much better than I was anticipating. I really love the freedom it gives me to play my PS5 from anywhere with decent WiFi coverage … The biggest things keeping the Portal from being a truly amazing device are its current lack of a way to access WiFi that requires a web browser to log in, and its lack of Bluetooth support for audio. [Grade: 8/10]”
A Perfect Gift For Gamers, But There Is Room For Improvement
Kotaku’s Jen Glennon praised the PlayStation Portal’s battery life, calling it “a solid sub-$200 gift option,” but also noted in her review that there is room for improvement with the Portal.
“While there are tweaks I’d like to see in the weeks and months ahead, I’ve been quite impressed with the time I’ve spent with Portal so far. I’ve played for about six hours on a single charge and still have a bar of battery life left to go. It’s a solid sub-$200 gift option for the gamer in your life who’s always hogging the TV when you’re trying to watch Vanderpump Rules or Monday Night Football.”
Some Are Meh On The PlayStation Portal
With the good, some people were always left feeling meh about the PlayStation Portal experience.
The Loadout’s Callum Self described his experience with PlayStation Portal as “enjoyable and disappointing” but noted in his review that it is the best way to use Remote Play.
“My overall time with the PlayStation Portal was both more enjoyable and disappointing than I expected. It’s certainly the best way to use Remote Play currently, by a long shot, and I’m sure I’ll be using it frequently in the future. But the washed-out screen, lack of cloud gaming support, and so-so battery life make me wish for a better, but unlikely, PlayStation Portal 2. [Grade: 5/10]”
No Reasonable Use For The PlayStation Portal
Then, of course, some just feel PlayStation swung and missed with the Portal. PC Mag’s Will Greenwald calls the Portal “just a screen sandwiched between a controller” and not worth the $200 price point.
“The screen works as intended, but the 1080p resolution looks fuzzier than most modern mobile devices. … The most baffling aspect of the Portal is its fundamental limitation. … I can’t see a reasonable use case for the Portal that wouldn’t be served more economically, and with a better screen, with many other devices. Ultimately, the Portal is just a screen sandwiched between a controller, and for $200, it should be more than that. [Grade: 2.5/5]”
Well, for the most part, people are high on the PlayStation Portal, but it sounds like this is a device for a very niche group of people, and those are the gamers who love Remote Play and hate using their smartphones to utilize it.
Will you be buying a PlayStation Portal? Let us know in the comment section below.
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Photo: Sony / PlayStation Portal
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Source: Sascha Schuermann / Getty / Amazon Games
While gamers are enjoying what might be the most remarkable year in gaming history, the people behind the scenes are enduring massive layoffs. Amazon is the latest company to let workers go.
Spotted on The Verge, Amazon announced, via a memo sent to employees by the VP of Amazon Games, Christoph Hartmann, that it would cut 180 jobs in its gaming division and make “some” changes to its games initiative.
The changes will see Amazon shut down its Crown Twitch channel and shutter its Game Growth effort, which helps game developers market their products, while “refocusing” its work with the free games it offers through its Prime Gaming service.
“We are proud of the work the teams have been doing, pushing into new areas with weekly content on Crown Channel and finding more ways to help publishers reach new audiences with Game Growth,” Hartmann said in the memo. “But after further evaluation of our businesses, it became clear that we need to focus our resources and efforts to deliver great games to players now and in the future.”
Speaking on the free games that are a beloved benefit to Amazon Prime subscribers, “We’ve listened to our customers, and we know delivering free games every month is what they want most, so we are refining our Prime benefit to increase our focus there,” Harmin added.
It’s A Spooky Time To Work In The Video Games Industry
These changes came after Amazon announced in April that over 100 staffers in Amazon’s games organization were let go.
This news joins the list of layoffs in the world of video games. Destiny 2 developer Bungie laid off dozens of staff, The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog cut developers in October, and Humble Games was also affected recently by layoffs.
Our thoughts are with all of the workers affected by these layoffs.
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Photo: Sascha Schuermann / Getty
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / Sony / PS5 / PlayStation
Sony’s PS5 is on its way to being one of the company’s most successful consoles.
It was a successful quarter for Sony regarding PS5 sales. Spotted on Engadget, the company has sold 4.9 million PS5 units during its second financial quarter.
That number now brings the total of PS5 consoles sold to 46.6 million. While impressive is still short of last year’s holiday figures, Sony did manage to move 1.6 million units more than it did in the previous year.
The impressive numbers come as Sony (as well as Nintendo and Xbox) all struggled to keep up with the demand for its PS5 consoles due to global supply chain issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As things slowly got back to “normal” and the shortages began to ease up, Sony was able to ramp up production on the PS5 console.
By the end of July 2023, Sony announced that more than 40 million PS5 units had been sold since the console hit shelves in November 2020.
Sony has set an ambitious target of shipping 25 million PS5 units in this financial year, but to achieve that goal, the company has to move 16.8 million more units.
While it seems like a bit of a stretch, according to Reuters reporting, Sony President Hiroki Totoki believes the goal is something his company “can attain very easily.”
The new “PS5 Slim” model due out this month could be that shot in the arm that Sony needs this holiday season to reach that goal, as the PS5 will surely be on the top of children’s and adult’s Christmas wishlists.
Sony Also Moved A Lot of Games
Hardware/consoles was not the only thing Sony talked about. The company sold 67.6 million games in the second quarter; 4.7 million were first-party titles.
The first-party numbers should also get a boost thanks to Insomniac Game’s Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, which the studio happily announced sold 5 million copies since launching exclusively on the PS5 console.
That’s quite a feat for a game, not Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty, which launches on multiple consoles.
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Photo: NurPhoto / Getty
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Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty
Portland Trail Blazers forward Robert Williams III is a gamer on the court and with the sticks off the court. The man known as Time Lord is a certified Call Of Duty fan and in a quick interview with Hip-Hop Wired, he offered plenty of insight into getting adjusted to his new Portland surroundings (he was traded from the Celtics in the summer—a say day for this Celtics fan writer), explained the joy he finds in gaming, and of course what he’s looking forward to in Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare III.
Robert Williams III says he was initially an NBA 2K player but got into Call Of Duty during his rookie year (he was drafted in 2018, so we’re talking Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 era). After admittedly taking a break for a year, he’s been back in full swing ever since. The franchise aligns with the high-flying forward’s NBA travel grind and keeps him trouble-free.
“It’s a mixture of things,” said Williams about why he plays. “It’s unwinding. A lot of times [instead] of going out and making some bad decisions, Call Of Duty will help you make great decisions. Just being able to communicate with people around the world. Being able to communicate with my fam back home over the game—kind of go through therapy sessions. We may get into a party and not even start the match for 30 minutes, just talking to each other.”
With Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare III on the horizon, which lands this Friday (November 10), Williams is looking forward to getting as comfortable with the new title as he is on the court.
“I love it, man,” said Williams of the early taste of the game he was granted. “I feel like Call Of Duty surprises us every time. We ask ourselves what they can do to make it better or we suggest stuff that would make it better and a lot of the times the stuff that people suggest will really make the game terrible. We don’t realize it. I think they did a great job. I’m ready to play the campaign. I want to see what the rest of the game has in store.”
If you think Williams dropped a generic answer, he confirmed that he was legit when detailing his style of gameplay.
“I was the type where when I first started playing [I’d let] my friends go on fighting [and] I was the sniper that sat in the back the whole time. I’m marking people. [But then] I fell in love with SMG’s. I really miss the Cooper Carbine [Ed. Note: from Call Of Duty: Vanguard], I miss those bad,” Williams said.
Williams’ gritty play on the court will surely be missed by Boston Celtics fans. His new home and team of Portland are already treating him well.
“It was just tough getting adjusted to the West Coast time coming from Boston,” Williams shared. “But the city of Portland is amazing, man. People [have] been welcoming me. Been trying to find some good food. The nature is crazy, the trees, the wilderness out there is crazy.”
As a testament to the type of person he is, he’s already eyeing ways to give back to his new city.
“Obviously it’s not a celebratory topic, but I think Portland’s homelessness is probably the worst I’ve ever seen in my life, so I’m trying to figure out the next steps to get involved and try to help with that,” Williams said. In 2022, Portland ranked 25th nationwide in homelessness; per Axios, the homeless rate rose 20 percent in 2023.
Williams, a well-paid pro athlete, displaying such empathy is a testament to the type of teammate he is. This is often glossed over by those covering him in the press.
“I’m a people person,” said Williams when asked what’s the most underrated part of his NBA game. ” Anything I can do to help the team. Anything I can do to help my coaches, any given time on and off the court. This is what I am. I know I look unapproachable, I got neck tattoos and all that man, but I’ma cool person.”
Unfortunately for Blazers fans, Williams will have more time to play Call Of Duty since he recently suffered a knee injury that will sideline him for a least a few months (we conducted this interview a short while ago). But you can guarantee he’ll be back, stronger than ever.
Get well soon, Robert Williams III. We got your six.
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Photo: Getty
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Source: Nintendo / The Legend of Zelda
Move over Mario. Link is the latest Nintendo character coming to a movie theater near you.
Per Engadget, The Legend of Zelda is being adapted into a live-action film, Nintendo confirms. The film adaptation of The Legend of Zelda has been in discussion for a while, but now we have the confirmation the project is in development, and Wes Ball (The Maze Runner, Kingdom of The Planet of The Apes) will sit in the director’s chair.
It would seem all Nintendo would need to give this project the greenlight was the success of the Super Mario Bros. movie.
Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto and Avi Arad will serve as producers on the film; shockingly, Sony Pictures Entertainment is co-financing the movie.
Nintendo will finance 50% of the film, while Sony will handle the theater distribution.
As he did for the Super Mario Bros. animated film, Miyamoto-San proudly announced that the film is coming on via Nintendo’s official X, formerly Twitter, account.
“This is Miyamoto. I have been working on the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda for many years now with Avi Arad-san, who has produced many mega hit films,” the Nintendo chief wrote.
Miyamoto also noted that the film is in early development and “Nintendo itself heavily involved in the production,” plus “it will take time until its completion.”
X Reacts To The Legend of Zelda Movie
With the film’s announcement, X’s video game community is reacting and already fan-casting for the movie, like choosing Euphoria’s Hunter Schafer for the iconic role of Princess Zelda.
Some folks are not too excited. Kinda Funny’s Barrett Courtney, a lifelong Zelda fan, isn’t as optimistic about the upcoming film.
The Legend of Zelda is so far away, and we will be optimistic about it. You can see more reactions to the upcoming film in the gallery below.
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Photo: Nintendo / The Legend of Zelda
1. LOL, jokes
3. IGN’s greatest April fools joke
4. Howling
6. Interesting
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Source: Dia Dipasupil / Getty / Snoop Dogg / Cordell Broadus
Snoop Dogg is looking to do more than give out Death Row chains since acquiring the iconic music label. He is teaming up with his son, Cordell Broadus, to help put minority creators and gamers on the map.
Spotted on HypeBeast, the iconic Hip-Hop star and his seed are working together to give minority creators and artists a platform to develop and publish on Fortnite using the company’s Unreal Editor.
Broadus made the dope announcement while speaking at AFROTECH.
Per HypeBeast:
“We’ve been creating games, and none of them has been published anything on a huge scale, but on a very amateur level,” Broadus told AFROTECH. “We’ve been around games for the last five to six years. And Snoop, he’s done mobile games. A few of them in the past five to six years in apps and stuff like that. So we’ve always had the mindset of building it on our own.”
He added, “We felt like let’s really put resources into building Death Row Games and making a home for diverse creators in the gaming ecosystem and be a part of the narrative, the storytelling of what the next game should be looking like. And I keep saying ‘show representation of the culture in these sectors,’ versus us just being the talent. We wanted to make sure that we’re part of the decision that’s being made and more importantly tell these stories from diverse creators and focus on creatives in underserved communities.
Calvin Broadus Is Excited To Work With His Dad
“I think it’s dope for a father and a son to be working together for one, and for two he’s 51 years old. So he may be out of touch with some of these things.” He continued, “And I’m always there to keep him up to speed and translate information to him in a tone that he can understand. I think that’s more important… but just as much as I’m giving him game he’s given me the keys to make these decisions with a IP as big as his.”
Salute to both of them. We hope Death Row Gaming accomplishes its mission by opening the doors for Black and Brown creators in the video game space.
Photo: Dia Dipasupil / Getty
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Source: SOPA Images / Getty / GTA 6
GTA 6 trends on X, formerly known as Twitter, almost every month, and usually, it’s for no good reason. Well, that finally changed last night, and gamers have a reason to be very excited.
It’s happening, it’s finally happening. After years of silence and one massive leak, Rockstar Games is ready to unveil Grand Theft Auto IV, promising to share a trailer of the highly anticipated game.
The news was first revealed via bombshell exclusive reporting from Bloomberg’s Jason Scheirer, and it was officially confirmed with a post on X from Rockstar Games, who is notoriously quiet about upcoming projects.
“We are very excited to let you know that in early December, we will release the first trailer for the next Grand Theft Auto. We look forward to many more years of sharing these experiences with all of you,” said Rockstar Games president Sam Houser.
Leading up to this long-awaited day, word on the video game streets is that GTA 6 would feature its first female protagonist and will be influenced by Bonnie and Clyde while possibly returning to Vice City, Grand Theft Auto’s fictional spin on Miami.
It’s been no secret that Rockstar Games has been working on GTA 6 while continuing to add content to Grand Theft Auto Online, which launched alongside Grand Theft Auto V, which astonishingly came out in 2013 and has lived on three console generations.
GTA V is also one of the most profitable pieces of entertainment, bringing in more cash than any film or book since.
So, it should come as no shock that Rockstar Games took its sweet time making GTA IV.
Gamers Can Finally Rest: GTA 6 Is No Longer A Rumor
As expected, the video game world has been beaming with excitement at the news, knowing they are going to the first official look at Grand Theft Auto 6.
“No more GTA 6 rumors, we can finally rest,” one person said on X.
“The GTA 6 reveal rumours are finally over,” Tom Henderson tweeted.
We will be sharing that news when it officially drops. Until then, you can peep more reactions in the gallery below.
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Photo: SOPA Images / Getty
1. We feel you
2. The accuracy
3. Yes please
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / PlayStation
You can now add Sony as the latest company that will no longer play nice with Elon Musk’s mess of a social media platform X.
PlayStation is killing off its X (formerly known as Twitter) integration. So what does that mean? Well, PS4 and PS5 owners used to enjoy being able to share screenshots and clips directly to their Twitter accounts from those two consoles.
Now, that will no longer be the case.
Spotted on The Verge, Sony announced the significant change to social sharing via a message on its website.
“As of November 13, 2023, integration with X (formerly known as Twitter) will no longer function on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 consoles, Sony said.
“This includes the ability to view any content published on X on PS5/PS4 and the ability to post and view content, trophies, and other gameplay-related activities on X directly from PS5/PS4 (or link an X account to do so)” the message continues.
Notable gaming news source Wario64 shared a screenshot of the message PS5 owners are receiving about the change on X’s biggest competitor, Threads.
As to why Sony is making this decision, the company didn’t give an exact reason for its decision, but many believe it has something to do with X’s ridiculous API pricing the company introduced earlier this year.
Sony did share how gamers could still share their screenshots and clips on X through other means, specifically through the PlayStation app, where you can download your content to your phone and directly post it to your social media accounts.
Xbox Also Made A Similar Move
Sony’s decision to no longer support Twitter’s API is not unheard of. Xbox also announced earlier this year that it was removing the feature.
Threads, it’s your time to shine.
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Photo: NurPhoto / Getty
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Source: picture alliance / Getty / Xbox / Microsoft
Microsoft is cracking down on “unauthorized” controllers and accessories on Xbox consoles.
Xbox console owners were hit with a rude awakening last week.
Posters on Resetera began sharing last week that they were being greeted with a warning informing them their third-party controller would be blocked, with the message “connected accessory is not authorized.”
The Verge reports it is unclear if Xbox’s intention with this move is to target cheaters or push Xbox console owners to use accessories that are a part of its official partner program.
“From the moment you connect an unauthorized accessory and receive error code 0x82d60002, you’ll have two weeks to use the accessory, after which time it will then be blocked from use with the console,” Microsoft said in a support note about the warning message gamers are receiving.
Microsoft continues, “At that time, you’ll receive error code 0x82d60003. We encourage you to contact the store or manufacturer where you obtained the accessory to get help with returning it.”
Specific Devices That Could Be Affected
Third-party accessories that have a “designed for Xbox” label on the box are not affected by the block. Any devices not authorized by Xbox could see the message and be blocked.
Gamers using third-party cheat devices like XIM, Cronus Zen, and ReaSnow S1 could also be affected.
The above devices are used mainly by PC players to imitate controller inputs, allowing mouse and keyboard users to utilize aim assist and reduced recoil from controllers combined with the fast movement mouse and keyboard fans enjoy.
Before Xbox made this move, Activision, Bungie, and Ubisoft had worked diligently to block these devices from being used in first-person shooters like Call of Duty, Destiny 2, and Rainbow Six Siege.
Brooks Gaming, which makes an adapter that allows users to use PlayStation controllers on Xbox, warns of “functional disruptions in the near future” for a number of its products, including the fighting board, steering wheel, and Wingman XB 2 converter in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Reactions From The Gaming Community
Of course, news like this is already getting reactions from the video game community and the implications of who this block will hurt.
Fight video game enthusiast Maximillian Dood directly hit Xbox chief Phil Spencer and Matt Booty on X, begging them to have a change of heart by pointing out how this could be extremely harmful to local fighting game events that use Xbox consoles.
“Heyo @XboxP3 @Xbox @mattbooty This is essentially a death sentence for local fighting game events that run on Xbox, much less, others that can only afford one arcade stick. The @brookgamingfans converters are not cheat devices. They’re a huge boon to the FGC. Please reconsider!” Dood wrote.
Phil Spencer, Matt Booty, or Xbox have yet to issue a statement on the block, but we do expect some comments to arrive very soon.
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Photo: picture alliance / Getty